I don’t think I’ll ever say no to a Kasie West book.

I loved Avery. She’s struggling and maybe a bit uncertain and being in her head was fantastic. Her sister Lauren was a delightful distraction with a lot more going on than it seems. Brooks is a little broody and stand off-ish at first, but with good reason.

Plot wise, it was good. As with any Kasie book, there are a lot of sweet moments, a good amount of fluff, and minimal angst and this was no exception. I could have happily read 100 more pages with these two and desperately wanted more of a future take, but I really enjoyed this slice of time.

Overall, it was a quick, fun read. I loved this camp setting and the characters who came with it.

**Huge thanks to Delacorte Press for providing the arc free of charge**

Thank you to NetGalley for a free eArc in exchange for a honest review.

I’m finding that my interests are now branching out from YA romance, but I tried to make sure to review based on more than just my enjoyment.
This was a cute, fluffy romance, but was not the best of her books. The characters were somewhat shallow and the chemistry was just ok. I loved the Dirty Dancing vibes, but I wish it focused more lake related things. The plot was fast paced, but again- didn’t love it. I wish I could say I enjoyed it more, but I definitely recommend it for YA romance lovers who are looking for a quick, simple, and fluffy romance.

This sweet story about crushes and breaking out of your shell centers around two sisters, Avery and Lauren. Avery is a budding social media influencer who plans on making a documentary about the band that plays during the camp dinners. Avery is trying to get over the pain of her best friend kissing her ex-boyfriend and is pleasantly distracted by the cute guitarist of the camp band, Brooks. What camp, you ask? Well, Sunkissed takes place in a summer camp for entire families, complete with luxury cabins and amenities such as a store and a spa. The girls’ parents are both in education and are therefore also free for the summer. So, the family will be at this camp for two whole months.

Avery and Lauren spend the majority of their time at the camp with the bandmates – Lauren, filming her documentary of these rising stars, and Avery, helping Brooks develop song lyrics for a music festival at the end of the summer. The social circle also expands to the rest of the employees, who are fairly close in age to Avery, who is seventeen and the eldest sister. Weeks of activities and parties ensue, despite the rule that employees are not allowed to fraternize with guests outside of working hours. Ah, to be young, free, and sneaky!

The entire summer is laced with a “will they, won’t they” between Avery and Brooks and drama crops up when the lead singer of Brooks’ band suffers an injury and has to return home to recover. The band is in dire need of a singer for the festival, and dun dun dun, Avery can sing but she has severe stage fright. And so begins another journey of overcoming her reluctance to be in the limelight, mixed with learning how to navigate her crush on Brooks with the pain of her best friend’s betrayal constantly in the background.

Filled with all the emotional tragedies teens can experience all in a backdrop I love to read about made this a perfect read.

Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

Another successful Kasie West book. I really enjoyed this one and would probably rank it as one of her top five.

Avery is spending her entire summer at Bear Meadows with her family as part of their yearly summer epic adventure. While she is there, she strikes a deal with a Brooks, an employee, who agrees to help her try new things and break out of her comfort zone in exchange for her help writing song lyrics. When an accident befalls Brooks's lead singer, Avery finds herself volunteering to do something way outside of her comfort zone - filling in as the lead singer.

I really liked Avery's character. She is a people pleaser and hates conflict. When she hears her dad describe her and her sister to another couple at the camp, she realizes that she doesn't like how she is described. She decides she needs to try different things and make sure that she is really living her life. Avery doesn't want her parents to know what she is doing and when she volunteers to sing with Brooks, she doesn't want her sister to know. Avery finds herself getting caught up in secrets and lies as she tries to avoid hurting people's feelings and getting in trouble. Ultimately, it ends up backfiring.

I thought this book had a great lesson. Avery learns that when you try to please everyone, you ultimately end up not pleasing yourself. I think this was definitely one of Kasie West's better books in terms of being a fun, light read, but also having some depth to it.

4.75/5 🌟 Like all other Kasie West books, Sunkissed was a dream. The story had a cozy vibe through and through. I love how Kasie's novels always put me in a good mood. :') I finished reading it in like 4-hours-ish? I had no trouble connecting to the characters, and was invested in the storyline from the very beginning. If you're looking for a breezy, summer-y read, I highly recommend picking up Sunkissed! 💙

Avery, the main character, was so relatable! She had the tendency to put on a people-pleasing attitude, just to make sure that the other person stayed happy. (I do that a lot too. I'm working on changing it, I promise 🤧) I loved seeing her grow throughout the book. It was very inspiring. YA novels kind of focus on the romance aspect to a greater degree~ which is why character development gets lost sometimes, but that has never been the case for Kasie West's novels! I'm so glad her signature charm and swoon-worthy elements were present in Sunkissed. YAAY 💞

The romance was sweet and made me smile countless times throughout the story! Brooks was a the perfect addition to the book ~ I loved how he bought out a different side of Avery! The music theme was very well-written too. Sunkissed is definitely a YA you should pick up soon. Highly recommend. 🧡

Avery and her family are visiting a camp for most of the summer. Her sister Lauren is pretty upset when she discovers there is no WIFI, cell service or internet access. Avery has mixed feelings because she just found out her very recent ex-boyfriend kissed er best friend. Avery has not answered either their calls or texts and now she won't need to. Maybe this summer can be all about trying new things? Avery truly embraces this concept when she meets Brooks Morgan the guitar player in the camp band. Soon she finds herself truly stepping out of her comfort zone and helping Brooks. In the meantime Avery is having a lot of fun with the other people in the band and that work at camp. Is the truly a new beginning for Avery? Can she leave the past behind without making peace? Read Sunkissed by: Kasie West and find out for yourself!

This book will be a definite purchase for our high school library! Thank you so much for allowing me to have access to the digital arc!

Sweet, fun, and pure Katie West. Her fans will love this new book. West does sweet romances like no one else.

When I say Kasie West is one is my all-time favourite authors, I really do mean it.

Her books feel like my happy place. Even when I’m reading a book for the first time, I get this feeling like “I can’t wait to reread this”. I’ve reread almost all of her books and I always love them just as much if not more.

Sunkissed might very well be one of my favourites she’s written to date. Considering she’s written 14 novels and one short story, and that I’ve loved EVERY book of hers I’ve read, ranking is always hard when it comes to these. But I definitely think it’s flown headfirst into my top five.

If you’re looking for a book to read in one sitting (like I did), a book that feels like a hug, a book that is the definition of soft and happiness and fun, add this to your summertime TBRs.

With almost every Kasie West book, you can expect a fun and cute romance, and this is exactly what Sunkissed is. If you're a fan of Dirty Dancing and summer romance, then this book is for you. The main character, Avery, is a funny, smart, and overall great main character, and the love interest, Brooks, is very like-able and pushes Avery to be her best self.

I do wish that Avery's conflict with Shay was better resolved. It seems that after Avery was mad at her the whole book, she forgave her super easily at the end, and I would have preferred if they had a meaningful conversation about how their actions affected each other instead of just forgiving and forgetting.

Besides that, the plot is great and so are the side characters. This book is really sweet and very easy to read. If you want to get into summer vibes, then this is a great book to read that you can knock out in one afternoon.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sunkissed by Kasie West is the perfect book to bring to the beach. With a camp setting and cute moments aplenty, this one radiates summer vibes. I especially enjoyed the musical elements and the realistic main character. This is classic Kasie West, and fans of her pervious novels will fall in love with her latest work.

After being betrayed by her best friend, Avery is dragged away to spend the summer at camp with her family, without an internet connection. However, when she meets the resort’s band, an opportunity arises, and she joins the lead singer in a songwriting competition. I always seem to love books about music, and this element in particular really drew me into the book.

❀ REALISTIC MAIN CHARACTER

Avery is a realistic character, and I enjoyed her voice. She is still trying to figure out where she is going in life, although when we meet her, she follows the path her parents have set for her rather than her own heart. Throughout the summer, Avery learns to take risks and step out of her comfort zone with the help of the band, and I loved watching her bloom into her true self and get over her fear of singing in front of others.

❀ CAMP SETTING

One of my favourite parts of the book is its camp setting. It is sort of like Dirty Dancing, minus the dancing, and it makes for the perfect summer atmosphere. The camp is remote, creating more conflict as Avery is disconnected from the outside world, and the activities offered by the resort make it feel realistic. However, it would have been great to see even more of these activities.

❀ A CUTE, SUMMERY READ

Sunkissed by Kasie West is a cute, summery read about self-discovery and stepping out of your comfort zone. I loved the musical aspects, and the main character is realistic. The book’s setting further contributes to the summer atmosphere, and I would definitely recommend this to those looking for a short and sweet summer read.

Gosh... where to begin? I loved Avery so much as a character. From her punny playlists to her socially awkward adorableness. This book was such a pleasure to read from start to end. I literally didn’t put it down and finished in just one sitting. The fun summer camp vibes and the characters as a whole were just so fun. Picture Dirty Dancing in the 21st century with music instead of dancing. I’ll definitely be keeping this one on the shelf for a future reread!

Avery is the dependable, predictable older sister. Lauren is her talented 15 year old social media influencer sister. Their parents, both teachers, always plan a family summer trip. This time it’s to a summer lodge for 2 months- 2 months of summer camp type activities and no wi-fi. Avery and Lauren are initially upset about this. However Avery is escaping from her best friend Shay kissing Avery’s very recent ex Trent and having no cell phone signal means that she can avoid dealing with them. Right away Avery meets Brooks, a camp worker and aspiring musician who plays guitar with the camp band. She becomes friends with him and the other workers Maricela, Clay, Tia, and Kai. Brooks’ goal for the summer is to be part of a music festival, Avery’s goal is to become less predictable and try new things. Avery and Brooks decide to help each other reach their goals - and bond in the process. The book is really sweet- a teenage summer love story with YA appropriate Dirty Dancing vibes.

This was very underwhelming. Very. The characters are all fairly similar to each other, in the way that almost makes it hard to distinguish, and they all seem a little immature, even for YA. The characters that were different were...quirky? They were VERY different. There was almost no in between. The plot was slow and seemed to be missing something. I DNF'd this bad boy around chapter 7, skipped ahead to the end, then went back and cherry picked a few chapters. I didn't miss anything. Avery and Brooks do not have chemistry. They could have! But they didn't. There were so many opportunities for anything swoonworthy to happen, a flirty piece of dialogue, a look of longing, anything. So it felt like the romance was just...there. I didn't feel any tension or understand why Brooks was so pissed when he first met Avery. Why did she have to go apologize? Why does she care he thinks the worst of her? There wasn't enough at stake for me to care that the summer staff wasn't supposed to hang out with guests, and Avery was potentially causing them problems. (This part also seemed highly uncharacteristic for Avery. She knows they can't hang out with her, but then she seeks out and quickly befriends basically all of them? All while she's wishing she had a spine to tell off her bestie who made out with her ex?.) It just all felt a little try-hard. Like, this was the plot and these were the characters and IT IS GOING TO WORK, but then it didn't. See: character development of Avery. It could've been a beautiful story about discovering who you are and what you want, and instead it was a little rushed and a lot awkward.

I also didn't know this was based on Dirty Dancing. If I had known that, I never would've requested it because I think that movie is beyond dumb. Baby and Johnny didn't have chemistry and neither did Avery and Brooks. I also found DD to be fairly boring with lack-luster characters, cringey dialogue, and no chemistry, so perhaps this is an accurate "based on" book. I probably would've given this book 3 stars, an "okay", but I HATE feeling tricked by books, and I ultimately DNF'd it, so, 2 stars it is.

I've read a couple other Kasie West novels and to be honest, I'm not her biggest fan. (Side note, am I the only one who finds it a little odd that she's making all of these novels based on 80s and 90s romance movies? I feel like that's a little...cheating the game?) I haven't enjoyed more novels than I have, and I think I might put a pause on her stuff for a bit. I just feel like the ones I've read by her are very similar: characters, dialogue, internal insecurities, pacing, etc. And while that can be very familiar and comforting in an author, I'm just not convinced that Kasie West does it well enough. Especially not compared to what else is out there. I don't mind immature feeling characters or plots or overall storytelling and writing, I just wish I had a little more depth on all of those levels but especially the storytelling and writing.

All-in-all, I'd recommend skipping this one and finding a better summer read.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Readers who enjoy summer romance stories will enjoy Kasie West’s latest work. West introduces readers to Avery, a girl who learns how to build her self-confidence through the support of her friends and family. Certainly this is a common theme in young adult literature; however West’s portrayal of Avery, her anxieties and her friendships—both the good and bad—are true, which many readers should appreciate. It also helps to have a little romance, and Avery’s friendship with Brooks builds naturally, which can be fun to read.

She was go-with-the-flow Avery and was hoping her summer in the woods would be drama free. But as Avery started moving a bit outside her comfort zone, she uncovered some important things about herself. Maybe a little drama could lead to great things.

Picking up a Kasie West book is like coming home. I have long adored her books, because I can depend on them to leave me with a smile on my face, and Sunkissed had me grinning from ear-to-ear.

Avery felt like everything in her life was someone else's idea. She went along with it, because it was easier to stay with the familiar rather than push outside her comfort zone. When she met Brooks, she was immediately taken by his passion for music. Why didn't she have something in her life that she was enthusiastic about? Thus, the summer would be a summer of searching for her "thing". This part of the story led to the camp and its amenities being well utilized. There may not have been wifi, but the camp had a lot to offer. From hiking to a super-sized slip-n-slide, I got the full camp tour, and it was a treat.

The underlying message here was a good one too. It's hard to push beyond people's expectations of you, and who they think you are. But, people grow and change, and they cannot keep being who others think they should be. That was something Avery struggled with, and I applauded her for pushing herself over those walls others built around her.

My favorite part of the story was the friendships and romance that Avery experienced. Each new person saw a part of her that she failed to recognize, and it was wonderful seeing her embrace those parts of herself for the first time. I also am always here for a sweet and adorable romance, and I am happy to report, that this romance got the attention it deserved. There were lots of kisses and swoony moments to fill the heart with joy.

I will forever be a Kasie West fan, because her books always leave me with a warm and happy heart. Sunkissed was classic West - sweet adorable romance, low drama, and personal growth. It was a fun read, from beginning to end, and it was terrific to see Avery find her voice.

Avery is getting ready for her senior year. Her sister is outgoing, takes risks, and is into her video blog. The family is off to a cabin where they will spend the summer together. Lauren is experimenting with everything. Avery feels she is too predictable and is going to try new things. She becomes friends with one of the band members, Brooks, and he is going to help her explore new things. There is a music festival coming up and Brooks has his band entered. They need a singer and two new original songs. Avery, who writes poetry and loves to sing fits the bill. The book is great. I loved the support and discipline offered by Avery’s parents. I loved the sibling rivalry and love shared by the sisters. This book is all about believing in yourself and trusting others. Sometimes you have to subdue the peacemaker in you and make make your needs heard.

Kasie West is famous for her YA romcom stories. Sunkissed is another great read. This story is about Avery. At the start of summer, she learns that her best friend kissed her ex-boyfriend. Since she feels betrayed, it was easy to follow her family on a summer adventure in the mountains with no wifi. She was able to escape and learn a bit more about herself with the help of a few camp employees. She befriends Brooks who is also an aspiring musician. They end up getting close and writing lyrics together. The story was sweet and light-hearted. I liked how Avery had to overcome obstacles and grew in the process. This is a great romcom that readers will love this summer!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Kasie West's other novels based on 80s and 90s romance movies (P.S. I Like You based on You've Got Mail and The Distance Between Us based on Pretty in Pink), so I was excited as soon as I realized this is inspired by Dirty Dancing.

Sadly, Sunkissed is cute, but not much more than that. Our main characters both have family issues and there is plotline dealing with poverty and a sick parent. So I would expect quite a lot of depth, but this story remains shallow.

More than anything else, this novel is romantic fluff. I never thought the ending would be anything other than a happily ever after. Which is exactly what happens.

But I'm aware I'm not the target audience for this book and it is likely to be enjoyed by many teen readers.

Kasie West never disappoints! I think this might be my new favorite Kasie West book. I loved the camp setting and how the plot was exciting without feeling rushed. I quickly fell in love with the relationship between Avery and Brooks, because it felt so natural. I think overall though what I loved most about this book was the character Avery. I found Avery to be very relatable and her journey of self-discovery left me feeling inspired after I finished the book. Sunkissed is overall a perfect summer read that leaves you feeling happy! I highly recommend!